Daily Edition

Shutdown Special: AMC Will Hand Out Free Popcorn to Federal Employees

"The offer is good until common sense is restored in Washington, D.C., or, more likely, until the shutdown ends or we run out of free popcorn," AMC says.

If you're a U.S. government worker and a fan of popcorn, at least there's something of a silver lining.

On Tuesday, the mega movie circuit AMC announced it will offer federal employees a free small popcorn because of the U.S. government shutdown, which has left more than 800,000 workers furloughed. They don't even have to buy a movie ticket, either.

"The offer is good until common sense is restored in Washington, D.C., or, more likely, until the shutdown ends or we run out of free popcorn. Consistent with past free popcorn giveaways on Tax Day Weekend, the purchase of a ticket is not necessary to receive the offer."

Federal employees also can apply the cost of a small popcorn toward a larger size. All they need to do is present a valid government or military I.D. card at any AMC location.

The shutdown took effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday because of Republican-led spending legislation postponing Obamacare for one year. The bill would keep the government funded through Dec. 15, but the Senate won't support it because of the Obamacare provision. The measure, spearheaded by Tea Party lawmakers, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives over the weekend.

“There are hundreds of thousands of federal workers whose lives are being impacted,” said John McDonald, AMC's executive vice president operations. “While we can’t do anything to resolve gridlock in Washington, D.C., we can provide a few hours of entertainment and free popcorn while they wait to get back to work.”